


Tired

by Aquareanne



Series: Love is Strange [2]
Category: Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-24 15:30:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8377468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aquareanne/pseuds/Aquareanne
Summary: The Mojave's problem solver has issues of her own.





	

When Six drags her weak form into the camp, Lucius is worried. She reports back to Caesar, speaking in a hollow voice that furthers his concern. The sparkle in her eyes is gone, obscured like the sun on a stormy day. Then she’s gone, leaving without even a nod in her lover’s direction. An invisible force clenches his chest, squeezes his heart.  _ Is she okay? _

Lucius continues with his work, but something’s weighing him down, making even the simplest task a challenge. He’s already snapped two pencils and concentration avoids him. His thoughts are scattered, torn between the map in front of him and the Courier, the woman he  _ should _ be comforting. He can’t leave, though, not until his Lord dismisses him.

The lighting in the room’s getting dim, moon and sun swapping places in the sky. Bright enough to see, but Six could have crawled into bed by now. She’s the first one up, ready to tackle the day before it’s begun. Lucius never sees her in the morning, even when they share his bed. He hasn’t asked her to stay, though he wishes she would. A night’s not long enough, not when they sleep through it.

Once his job’s finished, Lucius goes straight to his tent. But Six isn’t there, nor is she with Siri. No one he questions has seen her either, but Lucullus hasn’t ferried anyone to Cottonwood Cove since the Courier’s arrival. Lucius considers abandoning his search—she may prefer solidarity if she’s upset or distraught—but the idea of her being alone isn’t comforting in the slightest. 

He finds her splayed out on a cluster of boulders, arms her makeshift pillow. The soft rise and fall of her chest’s the only reassurance of life; her eyes are closed and a slight snore escapes her throat. Lucius tiptoes over to Six, careful not to rouse her. She’s cranky when someone wakes her up, accident or no, and he doesn’t want to face her wrath.

Lucius sits near her and intertwines his fingers with hers, a silent apology for her earlier troubles. She stirs but thankfully does not awaken. Moonlight shines through the translucent clouds, casting a strange glow on Six’s face. In that moment, she looks ethereal. An otherworldly angel. He wonders why such a beautiful creature chose him.

He attempts to rouse her with a gentle shake of her shoulders but Six jolts upright and, with unimaginable celerity, draws her weapon. Lucius doesn’t register what’s occurring until he feels metal against his temple. “Try anything funny and I’ll shoot.”

When Six recognizes her possible assailant, she tucks the gun back into her armor. She apologizes profusely, swearing she didn’t know it was him. He gives her a warm smile, the kind that conveys understanding. He’s more curious about how she smuggled a .22 past the guards.

“Now that that’s out of the way, is there something you need?” Six asks through a stifled yawn.

“I wanted to make sure you’re alright.” He’s never cared about anyone so deeply, so the words sound strange in his ears.

“It’s been a rough day, Lucius. I’m just  _ so _ tired. Of everything.” The dispirited sigh at the end breaks his heart.

“How can I help?” 

“You can’t,” she chuckles, but it’s a broken sound. She’s smiling, but that’s wrong, too. The fragments of his heart shatter.

“I’m sorry.” And he really is. The Mojave’s been relentless to the Courier, bending her to the point of snapping. But he also knows that she’s tough, tougher than whatever the desert sends her way. Lucius gives her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and she turns to face him. The smile on her face is genuine. The silence that follows is a pleasant one.

She nods off once, a noise startling her. The second time she closes her eyes, Lucius scoops her up in his arms. Her protests are feeble, worn away by weariness. He carries her, cradles her to his chest, like a mother would her child. She’s heavier than he imagined, her combat armor weighing her down.

Six is lost in her dreams when he lays her down onto the mattress. Within seconds, she’s sprawled out across the entire bed, wrapped up in the sheets like a caterpillar in a cocoon. He’s shocked at how much space the woman takes up. Not even he occupies as much area as she.

Her snoring’s picked up again, faint vibrations filling the night’s silence. The sound brings a faint smile to his lips as he climbs into bed. He wraps an arm around his lover, bringing her closer. Her face is inches from his and he’s struck once more by her angelic features. She truly is the most breathtaking woman he’s ever met.

The bed’s cold when Lucius finally wakes and he doesn’t have to open his eyes to know she’s not beside him. There’s not a trace of her left, like she hadn’t lied with him hours ago. If it wasn’t for the faint hint of her soap, he would be convinced her presence was an illusion.


End file.
